


Ghostly Hauntings

by MaxRev



Series: Shenko Smut Thursday [5]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: A Lot of Plot, Explicit Sexual Content, Ghosts, Hauntings, M/M, Porn With Plot, Shenko Smut Thursday, Smut, strange happenings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 05:54:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16191431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxRev/pseuds/MaxRev
Summary: Kaidan moves into and old house and starts to remodel and fix it up. Strange things start to happen, inexplicable things, but there are no such things as ghosts. Right?





	Ghostly Hauntings

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry...idek...the idea sounded better in my head lol But I'm posting anyway ;)

The sound of the hammer echoed in the still air as Kaidan pounded at nails, fixing the casings around the windows. This house had been built by his great-grandfather back in the 1800s and was in need of a multitude of repairs. Taking a break, he stepped back to look at his progress on the Dutch Colonial style house.

Overhead, the sun beat down relentlessly on an unusually warm day for fall. Before getting back on task, he unbuttoned the flannel shirt he wore over a henley, stripping them both off over his head. Suddenly, he paused, arms coming down slowly. Was that a sigh coming from behind him? Whipping around to look, he saw no one there. _Of course no one’s here, you live alone_.

Shrugging the peculiar incident off, he let out a sigh of his own, grateful for some relief from the heat. Wiping a forearm across his brow, Kaidan got back to work.

Something brushed softly down his spine causing goosebumps to breaking out all over his skin. Twitching his shoulder blades, Kaidan sought to rid himself of the sensation. After a few minutes, he felt it again. He looked around. No bugs buzzed or flew around him. There was no breeze - hadn’t been one all day. It hadn’t actually felt like a breeze though. More like a... _touch_. The light touch of chilled fingertips ghosting across overheated skin.

Chuckling at the ridiculous notion, Kaidan grabbed another nail to hammer in place. _Probably just a bug or a drop of sweat_. Then, there came a completely different feeling, almost like someone was playing with the curls at the back of his hair. Shaking his head impatiently, that went away as well.

It was now a week ago he’d decided to move in and call this home. Finally, somewhere to place his boots permanently. A place that was quiet, peaceful...ordinary. Having just gotten out of the military, he needed all those like a man in the desert needed water. Then, he’d started remodeling and life had gotten a bit...strange.

There was this creepy sensation of being watched, the feel of...fingertips...brushing against him. Items were misplaced, objects fell to the floor when there was no reasonable explanation. Specifically, the flowered curtains in the living room on more than one occasion. _Maybe the ghost hates them as much as I do_. Kaidan stopped the hammer in mid-swing. _Great, now I’m starting to believe I really do have a ghost living here_.

Tired from moving the spare furniture from storage and the seemingly endless repairs, Kaidan chalked everything up to an overtired mind. He wasn’t superstitious and didn’t believe in ghosts. _Didn’t believe in ghosts_ \- he repeated the mantra in his head. _There is no such thing as ghosts_.

Thinking he could use some music to drown out the strange nature of his thoughts, he turned on an old radio rescued from the barn. Twisting the dial until a station came in clearly, Kaidan groaned. Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band. _Of course_. It was purely coincidence - had to be. Under his breath, he began to sing the words to the tune. At the chorus and the phrase _‘wanna reach out and grab you’_ he yelped loudly. Someone - _something_ \- had pinched him right on his ass causing him to hit his thumb with the hammer. Curse words flew around the painful appendage as he sucked on it, as if the action would lessen the pain.

Shaking his hand, he reached for the hammer as the song on the radio changed. It felt like the universe was laughing at his circumstances - _‘I always feel like somebody's watching me. Tell me is it just a dream?’_ Kaidan turned switched the radio off. The songs were hitting a little too close to home.

In the quiet of the day, his stomach growled loudly and Kaidan nearly jumped out of his skin before realizing where the sound had come from. Must be time lunchtime. Good thing his mom brought food out every few days, happy to be able to cook for her son once again and since he hadn’t had time to go shopping, it was a win-win situation.

Putting the flannel shirt back on but leaving it unbuttoned, a breath of sound drifted past his ears sounding distinctly like another sigh. It came from right behind him. Turning, he didn’t see anything to account for it. Definitely time to eat before he passed out or his brain took a really giant leap into never never land. _Get a grip, Alenko._

In the kitchen, he grabbed containers from the fridge and set them on the counter. Opening each one, he loaded food onto his plate, stopping suddenly. Cocking his head, he waited for the sound again. He could have sworn he heard a groan. He must have made the noise himself; he really was hungry and the tantalizing smells of the food was getting to him. Reaching in the cupboard for a glass, he went back to the fridge for water.

Reaching to grab his plate and eat outside on the porch, Kaidan stopped short. _The fork was in the potato salad_. It had definitely been on the counter. Too hungry to even care, he decided maybe he had a ghost after all. _Right, Alenko. And aliens exist in space, too_.

The rest of the day, for once since he’d moved in, was relatively quiet. Maybe the ghost was tired too. How much energy did they expend to be physical, after all? _Good grief, I need a vacation on a beach somewhere with a fruity drink and an umbrella_.

Later that night, after a long soak in steaming hot water, Kaidan relaxed by the fire. Cleaning the chimney and with the nights getting colder, he’d wanted to make sure it worked. It did, wonderfully well, in fact. He pulled the couch up close and stared into the flickering flames, pausing occasionally to sip at his lager. After downing a couple of them, he was completely relaxed, enough so for his mind to keep circling around all the strange things which had happened over the past week. Unable to come up with any sane reason, he finally let it go.

Tired, comfortably warm, and the beer working its magic, Kaidan felt his eyelids grow heavy. The flames had died down to embers on the last of the logs, the room now warm and toasty. Unwilling to move, he shifted around until he was even more comfortable and succumbed to the pull of the sandman’s magic.

And dreamed.

As if from above, he saw himself walking through the fields near his house. A sound had his head snapping up. In the distance was a giant tree, older than time with countless limbs and branches, green leaves shading the ground beneath. Leaning against it was the silhouette of a man. Intrigued, unafraid - this was a dream after all - he moved forward. 

Getting closer, he could begin to make out details. The shadow turned towards him. Startled, he saw blue eyes glowing from the shadows like a beacon, felt them like a punch to his heart, as if they could see right through to his very soul. Even closer now, he saw full lips widen in a welcoming smile. _You’re here_! The lips moved and yet, Kaidan felt like he heard the words in his head. A rich laugh followed his words. _Of course you can, this is your dream after all_. Well then.

He tried it out. _What did you mean by ‘You’re here?’_ The man didn’t answer. _Who are you_? The eyes blazed brighter for a few seconds and Kaidan realized the man _had_ heard his thoughts. _Pretty damn cool_. Pushing off from the base of the tree, the man moved towards him from the shadows. _I’m John_. At once, Kaidan was struck by how handsome he was: taller by a couple of inches, slim but muscular; buzzed hair, a scar at the hairline; strong jaw, sharp cheekbones; full, _kissable_ lips. _Wait...why was he thinking that_?

Alarmed at the turn his thoughts had taken, his own eyes snapped up to meet those of vibrant blue. The nostrils flared, lips parting. Had he…? _Yes_. Kaidan groaned, cheeks heating in embarrassment. He squashed his next thought. Didn’t want this man hearing any others in his addled brain. Dream or not, the guy was hot and...

Before he could stop, another thought -- _Kaidan, your losing your mind, talking to hot guys in your dreams. What’s next_? The images brought to mind would not be pushed away.

A sharp intake of breath sounded behind him. This dream needed to end before he really made an ass of himself. Turning, he imagined himself running back to his house, now in the distance.

Behind him _\- Wait...K-Kaidan! Don’t go! I...I’m so tired of being alone. We can...talk out loud if it’s more comfortable for you. This is your dream after all_.

Kaidan stopped. He wasn’t sure if it was the use of his name or more to do with the wistfulness in the John’s voice. He sounded so...lonely. As for the talking, thinking...whatever it was...he tried it out.

Without turning, “Why are you alone? And why are you in _my_ dream?”

The voice came from directly behind him, warm breath tickling his ear, and only Kaidan’s years of service in the military kept him from jumping. The voice itself, however, a deep, velvety sound, made his heart to race. “I’ve just been alone for a really long time.” Which was no explanation at all. “As for being in _your_ dream...you called me.”

_He had_? Glancing over his shoulder, Kaidan was caught by those vivid eyes once again. They seemed to change from second to second - the color of the sky on a cloudless day, then a storm rolling in. Lost, unable to resist their pull, he turned and moved forward without thought. The man’s eyes flicked down to his lips and back up again. Closing his own, he waited forever it seemed before soft, warm lips landed on his.

Kaidan jerked, coming awake to the sound of a crash from the kitchen - a sound like breaking glass. With a lack of grace, he got up from the couch, mind still locked in the heated kiss from his dream.

Entering the kitchen, he flipped on the light, yelling with pain as his bare foot landed on a shard of glass - one of the beer bottles he’d left on the counter. Probably on the edge, too, judging by the fact it was now shattered, pieces scattered in the area he’d stepped. Hopping back into the living room, he sat down, turned on a lamp and examined his foot. Only minor damage; the shard was small and he pulled it out easily with only a drop of blood forming. Walking back to the kitchen, feeling buzzed and awkward, he cleaned up the mess and went upstairs to clean and cover it with a Band-Aid.

He slept straight through the rest of night completely dreamless.

The next day was more of the same, so much work to be done and a bit of desperation to wear himself out. And yet, his thoughts never strayed from the odd dream. The _kiss_ refusing to be excised completely. _I really need to get out more, meet someone_. Especially if his mind was going to conjure up hot men with luminous blue eyes. _He’s not real_.

Finally calling it a day, Kaidan threw together a sandwich, inhaled it, and went upstairs for a bath, almost falling asleep in it. Wouldn’t that have been something after surviving years of combat as a Marine? Standing up, water sloshing around him, drops trailing down his body, he stood up and reached for a towel. Wrapping it around him once he’d dried off, he went to the bedroom to change.

Standing at the dresser, he rummaged for clothes, grasping at the towel when it started to slide downward. A draft hit him in all the wrong places when it finally hit the floor. Actually, it felt more like someone had _tugged_ at the towel before it... _no, don’t think it_...gave up the ghost.

An idea had been churning in his mind; time to see what might happen. Turning around, Kaidan’s eyes scanned every corner, every shadow. Out loud, he yelled, “What? Not content with things they way they’ve been? Now you’re getting bolder by yanking off my towel?” Spreading his arms to the side, he smirked, “Like the view?” Silence met his words, though he felt even more strongly like he was being watched. Feeling foolish, he commented under his breath, “Great, now I’m talking to a ghost.”

Exhausted, grumpy and annoyed at himself, he crawled into bed not even bothering with briefs. Hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day.

He dreamed again of blue eyes. “Stay out of my dreams!” The man just stared at him. Kaidan had a sudden, ridiculous thought, words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them, “Are you a ghost?” He studied the face in front of him intently, looking for any reaction. What he saw, or thought he’d seen, was a twitch above an eye. Did it mean anything? “Are you... _my_...ghost?”

The dream ended abruptly. Kaidan woke up feeling chilly in the dusk of early morning, sun not yet up. His sheet was on the floor. Brain groggy with sleep, he tried to rationalize it away - he was restless and had kicked off in the night. A voice in the back of his mind argued - the ghost pulled it off. Groaning at the absurdity of it all, he grabbed the sheet and pulled it back over him, falling asleep once again. This time when he woke, a shaft of bright light hit him squarely in the eye.

From that point on, life became even more bizarre. No matter what time of day, he’d hear the sound of feet shuffling across a room, footsteps going up and down the stairs, things turning up in rooms where he knew he hadn’t been in days, ghostly fingers caressing him or sliding through his hair but the strangest of all was the soft touch of lips on his. _It felt like the dream kiss_.

He hated himself for it but, if he closed his eyes, John, the man from his dreams, would be touching him... _everywhere_. One night Kaidan simply couldn’t stand it anymore, taking himself in hand to end the torment of pent up feelings. It worked...just for that night. In fact, the feelings only intensified. _This has got to stop_. But it didn’t.

Several months went by and Kaidan stepped outside, zipping up his winter jacket, breath fogging before him in the cold air. It was nearly Halloween now. There was one last chore to complete before the snows would begin to fall. He needed to put away the summer tools and get out the winter ones. When finished, he walked back inside the house, surprised at how warm it was inside. Almost as if...he stopped short upon entering the living room. _A fire in the hearth_? Yellow and orange flames crackled loudly in the silence.

_Damn ghost is going to burn my house down_. It was a testament to his change in attitude that he had the thought without questioning himself. Walking further into the room, there was a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he expected it to disappear or maybe see the curtains moving in a draft.

He nearly had a heart attack. In the shadows, brilliant blue eyes shined at him, wicked, full lips tipping up into a heart stopping smile. The man from his dreams - _the ghost_? _John?_ \- stood there. Kaidan blinked. The curtains were visible through his body. Squeezing a bit of the skin on his arm between two fingers, he winced at the pain. He hadn’t fallen asleep after all and most certainly wasn’t dreaming.

That rich voice flowed out into the room, “You’re not dreaming. I’m really here.” His head moved, glanced down at himself before looking back up at Kaidan with a rye smile, “Well, mostly. And yes, I’m John as well as your resident ghost.”

“But how...you...I…we…” Closing his eyes, Kaidan swallowed, trying desperately to think coherently, speak like he actually knew the English language. “You’re in my dreams, not real...not…” So much for coherency. He just shook his head, unable to figure out what he wanted to say.

Moving closer, John came to a stop before him. The heat from the fire washed over Kaidan, sweat beading on his brow. It was too hot in here. As those eyes looked at him with intensity, Kaidan felt like they became clearer, the color stronger the longer he stared into them.

Reaching out a hand, he pulled it back at the last minute before making contact. If his hand went through the vision in front of him, he was done. They’d find him wandering out in the orchard somewhere, babbling like an idiot. Probably blame it on his time in combat. But for all he’d seen, nothing could have ever prepared him for this.

Kaidan couldn’t look away from those blue eyes. They’d captured him, ensnared him...wouldn’t let go. His mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on in front of him.

 

* * *

 

Instead, it was Shepard who reached out a hand, solid, _real_ , watching it tremble while barely grazing Kaidan’s golden skin. Heat radiated from his body, seeping into John’s fingertips. Blue eyes opened wide in surprise, snapping up to meet Kaidan’s. He could _feel_ him.

“I can _feel_ you.”

The look in those half-lidded eyes nearly brought John to his knees. His blood began to pound in his ears, tactile and real, something he hadn’t heard _or felt_ in so very long.

“Feel this then,” Kaidan leaned forward, kissing those incredibly full lips, tracing the seam between them with his tongue, nipping the lower lip. Oh, how he’d wanted to do this so badly, dreaming of it night after night. Now, it was real. _Shepard was real_.

John’s eyelids drifted closed, unable to process all the emotions - the sensations - he was feeling as they roared through him. A warm hand cupped his jaw, lips now sliding gently across his own, back and forth. A long, low moan traveled from deep inside him, slipping out into the room.

Kaidan swallowed the sound, feeling it echo inside him and increased the intensity of the kiss, devouring John with lips and teeth and tongue. _He was kissing a ghost_. The absurdity of the thought in his head was pushed away ruthlessly. John gasped in response and Kaidan took advantage, tongue slipping inside.

John dug his fingers into rough jean material, dragging Kaidan closer, desperate for contact. Pushing his hands up under the soft t-shirt, cool hands against hot skin, fingertips moved along the edge of Kaidan’s waistband to the dip of his spine and down over rounded muscle. Kaidan ground against him, both of them moaning in response, overwhelmed.

“Too many clothes…” Kaidan whispered against his lips.

“Yeah...” he responded on sigh.

Before John could even begin to process where to start, Kaidan grasped the hem of his shirt, bunching the material in his fists and slowly pushing it up, following the motion with scarred lips, moist tongue, and warm breath. The soft fabric brushed against John’s feverish skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Every one of his senses on overload, he felt like he was slowly losing his mind, a pleasurable descent into the most exquisite torture.

Lifting the tee over John’s head, Kaidan undid him with a sexy smile, brows low, amber eyes blazing with want as he kneeled in front of him. Inhaling sharply, head falling back, the sound of the zipper was loud in the room. He stumbled with the feel of Kaidan’s warm breath against his erection.

“Kaidan...I... _damn_.” Strong hands grasped his thighs, anchoring John where he stood.

“Couch, bed...floor?” Images exploded inside his head, Kaidan’s raspy voice lowered in pitch.

With those words, John’s knees threatened to buckle. Lost in a haze of lust, he didn’t realize until it was over that somehow, Kaidan had managed to get them out of their clothes. Staring down at the evidence of the desire they both felt, the wanton look on the face before him, John couldn’t form words to respond...couldn’t _think_. However, he could certainly act. It had been so damn long since he’d done this, felt this way. Then he was yanking Kaidan up against him, crushing their lips together in a bruising kiss, all of his feelings laid bare in that moment.

They stumbled, feet tangling, falling to the couch, trying to fit their bodies together, bouncing off onto the floor, landing on the soft rug that lay in front of the fireplace. John found himself underneath Kaidan, eyes the color of dark whiskey drinking him in. They flooded his senses, left him off kilter and buzzed, heating the blood pounding in his veins. He waited, suddenly unsure if taking control had been the right course of action.

Kneeling beside John, Kaidan stared as the firelight flickered over the lean, muscular body laid out before him. This...it was so much more than he’d ever imagined, yet all the while feeling like the world was tilting a little bit off center. _He was about to have sex with a ghost_.

A very solid hand landed on his...vibrant, warm. He turned. Blue eyes gazed back at him, bright in the shadows, flames from the firelight flickering inside them. A cerulean fire burning through his body. Kneeling down, he crawled over John. Leaning down, he set out to do everything he’d done in his dreams...and more. Lips and tongues met, teased, tasted, teeth getting in the way, clacking together. It was messy...and Kaidan wanted more of it.

John surprised him, though, rolling them over, straddling his thighs. He wore a wicked grin, tongue darting out to slide along his lower lip. “I’ve waited to damn long and all this teasing...I had no idea you could feel my touches, my breath...hear me sighing with want.” He snapped his fingers and the radio sprang to life...and a song began to play - Take My Breath Away. Fitting words.

And then all Kaidan could see was the top of John’s head, dark hair buzzed short as he moved down. He moaned, head falling backwards, at the touch of those warm, moist lips traveling over his body. His body bowed upwards when teeth nipped lightly at his hipbones, fingers sliding along his inner thighs - rough and tender at the same time.

Every so often John would glance up only to be hit by a wave of incredulity at seeing how he made Kaidan come undone. Beads of sweat covered his body, stray curls hanging over his brow. Then there are the sounds he makes in the back of his throat, the flexing and twitching when John hits the sensitive spots, hands fisting into the plush rug, heels digging into his own thighs - _he did this_. It was a heady feeling.

Kaidan was so close to the edge, didn’t want this feeling to end so soon, for their time together to be over. Reaching down, he grasped John’s erection, sliding his hand up softly in an effort to distract him. The tip was wet and he slid his fingers through it, using it to help ease the friction a little. The deep voice, hoarse with passion, called out his name like a benediction, “ _Kaidan_ …”

A few flicks of his wrist and John surged forward, lips crashing against his. Hands wrapped around the back of his neck, fingers tangling in the curls there. Kaidan paused to take them both in hand with a slow, then steadily increasing rhythm. Up and then down, twisting his wrist, pushing his hips forwards at the same time as John. John cried out as he came; Kaidan followed quickly.

Lying down on top of him, chest to chest despite the stickiness, John’s breath was ragged and hot against Kaidan’s neck. Warm, full lips moving against Kaidan’s jaw, “God...Kaidan...that was...I don’t…”

He rubbed John’s back, soothing circular movements, “Yeah...yeah, it was...well…” A chuckle vibrated along his body and then they pulled apart. John reached over, grabbed a shirt to clean them up. Getting up, he grabbed another log to throw it on the fire before snuggling back up to Kaidan’s warm body.

“I…,” Kaidan paused, unsure of how to word his question.

Yet, John seemed to know, “The more I interacted with you, the more I began to feel and my body became more solid. I think it’s how you were able to feel me when I touched you, to see me in your dreams. Strong feelings make me...real. But, I never...I didn’t-”

“Shhhh...stop.” Amber eyes gazed into his, “I wouldn’t change anything.”

A draft of cold air moved through the room, causing them both to shiver. Kaidan’s eyebrows rose in surprise, “Um...there something I should know about? Are there any other ghosts living here?”

John smiled but shook his head, “If there are, I haven’t met them.”

They put out the fire and went up to bed, burrowing under the covers, wrapped close around each other.


End file.
